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French Broad Riverkeeper - Anna Alsobrook

@fbriverkeeper

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Program of @mtntrue
Member of @waterkeeperalliance
Working for a clean, safe, accessible, and scenic French Broad River.

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🚨 Take Action to protect the Clean Water Act & our waterways 🚨

The Clean Water Act is under threat—and here in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, that could have major consequences for the rivers, streams, wetlands, and communities we call home.

On September 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers released a supplemental proposal that would dramatically narrow which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. Under the proposal, many streams and tributaries would lose federal protection if they do not have water flowing continuously throughout the entire year. Wetlands could also lose protection unless they meet extremely narrow requirements for their connection to other protected waters.

We need your voice right now. The comment deadline is this Friday, October 9. Tell EPA and the Army Corps: Keep our waters protected. Click the link in our bio to take action, or visit mountaintrue.org 📝 by @fbriverkeeper

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3 days ago

Tracking pollution means going where trails and roads don’t. Yesterday, my face met with the biggest, craziest spider I’ve ever seen. Anyone know what kind this is? 🕷️🕸️💧😬 by @fbriverkeeper

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3 days ago

You may have seen the good news. Thanks to your support, we have turned the corner in our relationship with IPEX. MountainTrue is thrilled to announce that the multinational corporation has signed an agreement to contribute to our ongoing efforts to remove its product from the French Broad River.

IPEX has agreed to commit $500,000 to MountainTrue’s cleanup efforts on the French Broad River between Woodfin and Lake Douglas in Tennessee and engage with MountainTrue and the Town of Woodfin to complete upgrades to their riverside facility in order to better secure pipe ahead of future storms.

This is a significant victory, won in part by the dedicated tenacity of the river community, led by French Broad Riverkeeper Anna Alsobrook. You came together at three community meetings in Woodfin, Marshall and Hot Springs to show support for our mission and wrote hundreds of letters to IPEX leadership, asking them to engage with our cleanup efforts. It worked.
IPEX listened. That’s worth celebrating. Thank you.

“We are hopeful that this new relationship will be a long one committed to protecting the river and its floodplain, and look forward to seeing the results of IPEX’s engineering study for how they will better secure their inventory before the next flood arrives," says MountainTrue deputy director and general counsel Gray Jernigan.

“This is a win not only for MountainTrue, but the whole French Broad River community. Our supporters stepped up to speak on behalf of the river, and it led to real, tangible results. Sometimes, we have to speak loudly for the rivers, forests and communities we share, and this victory shows the importance of that work. The work doesn’t end here, but this is a huge step forward together.” by @fbriverkeeper

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16 days ago

Due to drought conditions pre-Helene, Fontana Lake was 7 ft below its normal level, but then during Helene, rose 15 ft and scattered debris from houseboats all along and throughout the coves.

Despite some mechanical issues, we were able to utilize two motorized boats, plus one debris barge and our AVL & Swannanoa Crews (under the leadership of our Clean Waters Director Hartwell Carson) to remove the debris from the coves.

We filled 4 large dumpsters with debris over 2 days.

Great work crews! taken in Fontana Lake by @fbriverkeeper

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23 days ago

Get out on the river with us for late summer and fall cleanups! For anyone still wanting to help us clean up the French Broad after Hurricane Helene, we have several more opportunities to volunteer this September and October. We’re hosting boat-based cleanups between Hot Springs & Paint Rock in Madison County on September 18, September 25, October 9, & October 16.

Learn more + sign up @ mountaintrue.org/events (link in bio) & reach out to French Broad Paddle Trail Manager Jack Henderson (jack@mountaintrue.org) with questions.

📷 Photo creds: Bill Mish @ the @oskarblueswnc Riverkeeper Beer Series cleanup on August 29. by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

September 2nd marks the last of our weekly water quality posts this year. E. coli is most likely to spike in the French Broad during the summer months when there are higher water temperatures.

Be sure to pin our new water quality reporting site at https://frenchbroadwaterquality.com/ to keep up with updates next summer! And check out our calendar at https://mountaintrue.org/get-involved/events/ to stay involved with MountainTrue events year-round! by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

It’s baaaaackk!! The French Broad Paddle Trip is back, and this time it’ll be better than ever. Partnering with our friends at @headwaters_outfitters we’ll take in all the fall colors along the first 32 miles of the river. Delicious food by expert, outdoor chef from @food_for_adventures will fuel your body and soul.
Come join us! Visit headwatersoutfitters.com for more info and tickets. by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

Good times this past weekend cleaning up the river in Transylvania County!

Big thanks to all the volunteers (including a huge group from @deweypropertyadvisors828 ) for making it happen, @headwaters_outfitters for the shuttle, @pisgahforestrentals for the dumpster, and @oskarblueswnc for the beer and after-party!

We have a bunch more clean-ups on the calendar for this summer and fall. Check them out and sign up on the MountainTrue website's Events page. by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

🌊 Work hard. Play hard. Protect rivers. Repeat.

Working for the French Broad Riverkeeper team means most days we’re in meetings, writing grants, collecting water samples, restoring riverbanks, building campsite, and fighting for cleaner water. 💻🧪🌱

But it’s important to remember why we work so hard…So, other days… we get to get out there and enjoy the very rivers we work so hard to protect. 🚣‍♀️☀️🏊‍♂️

Protecting the river isn’t just our job—it’s part of how we live, play, and connect with our community.

Here’s to the folks who work hard for clean water and know how to play hard on it, too. 💙🌊

#WorkHardPlayHard #RiverLife #RiverConservation #cleanwater by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

Take a look at safe places to swim and paddle amidst the last few weeks of summer! Be sure to follow us on social media and pin frenchbroadwaterquality.com to your browser so that you can keep up with our work year-round. by @fbriverkeeper

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a month ago

Hope everyone enjoys a safe time on the river! For more information on water quality, go to our new site:
https://frenchbroadwaterquality.com/ by @fbriverkeeper

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2 months ago

Check our new interactive dashboard at https://frenchbroadwaterquality.com/ to learn more about sources of E. coli in the French Broad. by @fbriverkeeper

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2 months ago